Outsourcing to Freelancers vs. Companies

Outsourcing is the best way to cut down cost as well as utilize the expertise in a specific field of work that your employees may not have. But when you set out to outsource some of your work it will be necessary to decide whether to outsource the work to an outsourcing company or a freelancer. In the following sections we will look at the differences which will help you in selecting the right option.

Choosing the Right Option – A Company or A Freelancer

Lack of Transparency

Freelancer: The main problem with locating any experienced freelance is their non-transparency. You will have no information about their qualification, assurance of timely delivery and real experience. So it is more like a gamble.

Company: On the other hand outsourcing companies hire employees with different qualifications and technical knowledge. You will also have a team to work with who will share their expertise while working on complicated projects. A solitary freelancer will not have access to such facilities and your work in turn may suffer.

Adherence to Deadlines

Freelancer: Freelancers have bad reputation when it comes to sticking to deadlines. Not working according to deadlines, not replying to mails or call are common problems that you will have to face if you decide to work with a freelancer.

Company: On the contrary a company has enough resources to make sure your project is completed on time. They will have an enforceable agreement with you according to which penalties will have to be paid in case the work is not completed as per set deadlines.

In addition to it, a freelancer will not be able to work on a large project on his one since it would require many resources to be utilized.

Matter of Convenience

Company: Another benefit of outsourcing your work to a company is that communication can be more frequent and someone will always be present to answer your queries. Additionally, in case the project manager becomes unavailable due to some reason then a company will have required resources to replace the person. This will ensure that the work does not stop if someone leaves the company and falls sick.

Freelancer: In case of freelancer you do not have such a choice. You will have to either wait for the person to recover or find someone else to take up the responsibility from middle of the project.

Field of Specialization

Freelancer: A freelancer has proficiency in only one field of work and if your project spans different tasks then the freelancer will not be able to handle all the aspects. In such situation you will have to hire another freelancer to work on other aspects of the project.

Company: In case of a company there are no such problems since a company has employees with different specializations and can easily cater to all requirements of your project.

Cost

Freelancer: In terms of cost working with a company tends to be costlier as compared to working with a freelancer.

Company: But the expenditure of working with a company certainly pays off in the long run since you do not have to face the risks which are associated if you are working with a freelancer. You get what you pay for, is certainly true.

Warranty and Privacy

Company: Many times after the project is completed you may find that some aspects of the work were left out. In such case you can easily get in touch with the company and get the thing done if project is still under the warranty period.

Freelancer: But if you are working with a freelancer then there is no such scope and you will have to hire a new person to work on the changes or required additions.

Company: In terms of privacy, most companies are required to sign a confidentiality agreement prior to starting the work. This ensures that any sensitive data you share with the company is not shared or leaked to someone else.

Freelancer: But in case of freelancers there is no such agreement and there is great risk of losing sensitive information.

A Final Note

Thus to conclude we will say that if you are planning to outsource your work then choosing to work with a company is a lot more practical as well as feasible thing to do instead of working with a freelancer.